# Should I be cleaning my corn cob pipe?



## Prozac (Oct 5, 2019)

Hi to all, I'm wondering if I should be cleaning - as in deep cleaning - my corn cob pipe, or are they self maintaining.
I read somewhere about cleaning them with alcohol. Is this good or bad.

Thanks a million, Prozac


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## Fusion (Apr 5, 2017)

Prozac said:


> Hi to all, I'm wondering if I should be cleaning - as in deep cleaning - my corn cob pipe, or are they self maintaining.
> I read somewhere about cleaning them with alcohol. Is this good or bad.
> 
> Thanks a million, Prozac


You got a camera at my house? mine needed cleaning bad, whatever tobacco i put in was all tasting the same, gave the stem (foreverstem) a good wash in hot water, reamed out the bowl very carefully, didnt do the Salt/Alcohol bowl clean as like @Prozac i dont know if thats good for cobs, i have it soaking in the sun right now


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## Prozac (Oct 5, 2019)

Well you know I don't have a clue Fusion LOL!
I'm sure someone has mastered the cob pipe, maybe they will help the both of us.


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## OneStrangeOne (Sep 10, 2016)

Don’t soak the pipe itself with anything! You can use hot water to clean the stem inside and out, you can use alcohol on a pipe cleaner to swab out the shank where the filter goes, the shank is glued in with Elmer’s and will come loose if it’s wet. Wipe out the bowl with a paper towel after you smoke it while it’s still warm, you don’t really want any cake to build up in a cob, eventually it will anyway, just scrape it out when it does. If it starts to Ghost or develops a funky taste set out in the sun for a day and the sun will freshen it up.


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## OneStrangeOne (Sep 10, 2016)

There’s a few guys I’m aware of that use unseated baby wipes to wipe out the bowl, I haven’t tried it myself but they swear by em.


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## Prozac (Oct 5, 2019)

Wow! Maybe we should try 'em?


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## OneStrangeOne (Sep 10, 2016)

Prozac said:


> Wow! Maybe we should try 'em?


Maybe someone with kiddos or grandkids can let us know what they are moistened with, it might just be distilled water.


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## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

Use em, abuse em, toss em.. that's why they're cheap. 

Sent from ... hey Jon, where's my damn sandwich


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## OneStrangeOne (Sep 10, 2016)

They are cheap and they will take an incredible amount of abuse!















I bought this one in 2013-14? It's been my go to work pipe since I put the forever stem on it a couple of years ago, since then it's probably seen 3-5 bowls a day 5 days a week plus lawnmower duty and car wrenching time.
I'm not sure what you would have to do to actually kill one!


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## Prozac (Oct 5, 2019)

OneStrangeOne said:


> They are cheap and they will take an incredible amount of abuse!
> View attachment 261874
> 
> 
> ...


Wow very nice and cool looking pipe, OneStrangeOne. I want one now


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## JohnBrody15 (Mar 20, 2016)

OneStrangeOne said:


> They are cheap and they will take an incredible amount of abuse!
> View attachment 261874
> 
> 
> ...


That pipe's got stories to tell lol


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## Prozac (Oct 5, 2019)

JohnBrody15 said:


> That pipe's got stories to tell lol


Amen!


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## Burleyguy43 (Jan 28, 2020)

I wipe the bowl out with a paper towel after each smoke.I keep the cake reamed just so you don't see the texture of the cob in the bowl....keep it under a 1/16 in.I love my cobs.


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## ebnash (Mar 5, 2017)

I want to love cob pipes, but the extension of the shank into the bowl with that slanted cut, always splinters and obstructs the airway. I'm constantly trimming the splinters away and have a hell of a time cleaning in those little crevices on either side of the shank. Drives me crazy, so of the 3-4 I've owned, they get smoked about 10-12 times and then I throw them in the fire pit. If I could get some with a normal shank to bowl fit, I would try one again. I'd like to just have one sitting in every car, at my desk at work, in the garage. Just for convenience...

The last cob I had, was the sweetest tasting pipe I've ever experienced. I only used it to smoke EGR and had never enjoyed that tobacco in any other pipe. Alas, the taste went off in a big way and I could not get it back to where it was. That one was cremated in my wood stove at home and I've sworn them off, since.

I have a Meer in route that will hopefully get me back on the EGR train. Never experienced another smoke like those 1st 10 bowls of EGR in that pipe. Now I'm chasing the dragon, so to speak.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

I played around with pipes for awhile.
I always liked Ever-Clear and a Pipe cleaner.
Fill the bowl shake it around.
Pour it out or drink it :vs_laugh:
Pass the pipe cleaner through the stem done.:vs_cool:


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

UBC03 said:


> Use em, abuse em, toss em.. that's why they're cheap.
> 
> Sent from ... hey Jon, where's my damn sandwich


I am in the same camp.
:vs_cool:


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## Fusion (Apr 5, 2017)

ebnash said:


> I want to love cob pipes, but the extension of the shank into the bowl with that slanted cut, always splinters and obstructs the airway. I'm constantly trimming the splinters away and have a hell of a time cleaning in those little crevices on either side of the shank. Drives me crazy, so of the 3-4 I've owned, they get smoked about 10-12 times and then I throw them in the fire pit. If I could get some with a normal shank to bowl fit, I would try one again. I'd like to just have one sitting in every car, at my desk at work, in the garage. Just for convenience...
> 
> The last cob I had, was the sweetest tasting pipe I've ever experienced. I only used it to smoke EGR and had never enjoyed that tobacco in any other pipe. Alas, the taste went off in a big way and I could not get it back to where it was. That one was cremated in my wood stove at home and I've sworn them off, since.
> 
> I have a Meer in route that will hopefully get me back on the EGR train. Never experienced another smoke like those 1st 10 bowls of EGR in that pipe. Now I'm chasing the dragon, so to speak.


I saw a post somewhere where they cut that off with a chisel, mine burnt off eventually but i know what you mean, was a pain when it was there


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## OneStrangeOne (Sep 10, 2016)

I’ve used ‘pipe mud’ to fill in the gaps and create a more normal bottom, I’ve also just let em fill up with dottle, can’t tell much difference either way.


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## Burleyguy43 (Jan 28, 2020)

Try reading john pattons corn cob primer.He explains how just smoking and reaming can round the bottom of the bowl out like you want.I use pipe mud and 2 wooden dowel if I want to round the bowl out quick.


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## JohnBrody15 (Mar 20, 2016)

Burleyguy43 said:


> Try reading john pattons corn cob primer.He explains how just smoking and reaming can round the bottom of the bowl out like you want.I use pipe mud and 2 wooden dowel if I want to round the bowl out quick.


That was a good read!


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

JohnBrody15 said:


> That was a good read!


Great Read indeed! :vs_cool:

https://pipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_Corncob_primer


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